On this Memorial Day, we remember the soldiers who never came home — especially those who fought for a freedom they were never promised.
They were the men of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, the first Black regiment recruited in the North during the Civil War. These were fathers, husbands, and sons who left everything behind to fight for a country that still didn’t see them as equals. Their courage at Fort Wagner in 1863 stunned the nation. They charged into a hail of gunfire, knowing the odds were against them, and gave everything they had.
Among them were dozens of men from the small town of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania — a free Black community just above the Mason-Dixon Line. Eighty-eight local men answered the call, with many joining the legendary 54th and 55th Massachusetts. Today, at least thirty-eight Civil War veterans rest in Zion Union Cemetery in Mercersburg, including thirteen from the 54th — the largest known group from that famous regiment buried together in any private cemetery.
These weren’t just soldiers. They were neighbors who chose to risk their lives for a promise that wasn’t guaranteed to them. They fought so their children and grandchildren could grow up free.
This Memorial Day, as we honor all who gave their lives in service, let us especially remember these men. Their sacrifice helped save the Union and helped end slavery. Their blood helped write the next chapter of American freedom.
Freedom was never free — and these men paid the ultimate price for it. Let us never forget them.
Sacred Gound 
Stay safe Bob
